The 52nd edition of Simac Tanning Tech will take place from 15 to 17 September in Halls 14 and 18 at Fiera Milano Rho. The international trade fair for technologies and machinery for the footwear, leather goods and tanning industries will bring together 290 exhibitors and brands from more than 20 countries. They will showcase over 1,500 technology solutions covering the entire production cycle – from design and cutting to sewing and assembly, as well as tanning processes, chemicals, finishing and digital process control.
Key topics include automation, artificial intelligence, the integration of machinery and data, as well as resource and process efficiency. Visitors from more than 90 countries are expected. According to the organisers, the number of visitors under the age of 30 is growing in particular, with this group showing a strong interest in sustainability and innovation. The new “Innovation Atlas”, available free of charge via the event catalogue, is designed to provide trade visitors with an overview of exhibitors’ latest innovations.
“The buyer visiting Simac Tanning Tech is an industrial decision-maker who has to evaluate investments that impact a company’s competitiveness and the quality of the final product,” explains Agostino Apolito, CEO of the event. Choosing a technology is not simply a matter of selecting an individual machine. “Automation, digital integration, traceability, energy efficiency, data management and technology-related services are leading companies towards increasingly interconnected, controllable and flexible production systems. Technology becomes part of the organisation of the factory itself, linking performance, quality and the ability to respond to market needs,” Apolito emphasises.
The cooperation with the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) will continue. More than 120 international industry representatives are expected to attend the event, with a particular focus on Latin America. Partnerships with ACCAL, which represents footwear and component industry associations from 13 Latin American countries, and the Italian-Latin American organisation IILA are intended to promote market opportunities and cooperation in the region.
Following last year’s focus on Kenya, attention in Africa will turn to Egypt and the Robbiki Leather City project. AICS Cairo and Egyptian institutions involved in the development of the leather industry district are participating in the initiative.
